❊ The Time Is Right For E-Commerce In Lebanon

Today, two large electronic retailers in Lebanon have decided to merge. Khoury Home and Hokayem Brothers have many things in common. They both have several large branches that sell various electronic and household appliances. They are both family businesses, and apparently they are both not doing as well as they should, hence the merger.

They are also both missing out on a potentially huge opportunity. While they sell cutting edge technological products, they have obsolete websites and they don’t offer you any way of buying their products online.

This is a pity. Lebanon with its short distances, its immense traffic, its sophisticated banking system and its wealthy diaspora is a prime candidate for E-commerce. The idea that you have to drive to some large showroom and get stuck in traffic for two hours to buy a $120 camera is beginning to sound outdated. Who has the time for that anymore?

And yet Lebanese retailers are not adapting. I use my Lebanese credit card to buy all sorts of things from international online retailers. But If I want to buy an iPad for my sister in Lebanon, I can’t login to Khoury home’s website and buy it for her. They are effectively refusing my money.

Considering the fact that most rich Lebanese live outside of Lebanon, there is a world of hidden opportunities that retailers are missing out on. If the new merged entity is keen to survive, it will have to start the E-Commerce revolution in Lebanon..

Update: I made a quick follow up on this post..